Open Paleo

Albertadromeus

Brown et al., 2013 al-BUHR-tuh-DRO-mee-us

Named after Alberta, Canada, combined with Greek 'dromeus' meaning 'runner'; meaning 'runner from Alberta'

83.6–72.2 million years ago Campanian, Late Cretaceous
Late Cretaceous stages

Albertadromeus is an extinct genus of orodromine thescelosaurid dinosaur known from the upper part of the Late Cretaceous Oldman Formation (middle Campanian stage) of Alberta, Canada. It contains a single species, Albertadromeus syntarsus.

Diagnosis

  1. Distal fibula reduced to a thin sheet of bone fused to the anterior surface of the tibia for the distal one-third of its length
  2. Prominent cnemial crest that projects dorsally (in addition to anterolaterally), resulting in a posteriorly sloped dorsal extremity of the proximal tibia
  3. Lateral condyle of proximal tibia strongly bilobed and prominent
  4. Tibia and femur characterized by dense cortical bone with reduced cancellous bone, giving a hollow cross-section similar to theropods

Species

Albertadromeus syntarsus Brown et al., 2013

Type species

From Greek words 'syn' meaning 'together' and 'tarsus' meaning 'ankle', a reference to the condition where the distal fibula is fused to the distal tibia.

Holotype
TMP 2009.037.0044 , Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology
Material
Associated postcranial skeleton: isolated cervical rib, two articulated dorsal vertebrae, isolated caudal vertebra, ossified tendons, left tibia and fibula, fragment of right fibula, fragmentary metatarsal and ungual
Horizon
upper Oldman Formation, Campanian, Late Cretaceous , 83.6–72.2 million years ago
Locality
Canal Creek, Alberta, Canada

References

  1. Brown, C. M.; Evans, D. C.; Ryan, M. J.; Russell, A. P. (2013). New data on the diversity and abundance of small-bodied ornithopods (Dinosauria, Ornithischia) from the Belly River Group (Campanian) of Alberta. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 33(3): 495-520. Informa UK Limited. doi:10.1080/02724634.2013.746229 brown2013a
  2. Jones, B. (2026). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Ornithischians. Princeton University Press.

    Source of the body length, mass, and hip height estimates.

    jones2026a